I think I love you
by M-M-X-M-X
Summary: Ron and Hermione get close over the summer... but what will Harry say? Especially when he hears Ginny is once again with someone else? And why is Draco suddenly so Happy?
1. Chapter 1

Dear Sirius,

I'm okay, thanks for the concern. The holidays have just begun, and I'm back at the Dursleys again. Life here hasn't improved much. Dudley's lost a lot of weight now. I'd almost say he weighs about the same as horse now, which is saying a lot. I'm going to the Weasley's next week Tuesday, so send me letters there. I hope you're okay, and Buckbeak.

All my love,

Harry.


	2. Chapter 2

"Ron! Stop it!" Hermione giggled as he flicked soap suds onto her blouse. "I mean it!" She said again, but it had little effect on Ron, who just continued to wet her as best as possible.

"Eeek! Ron! Oh, I am SO getting you back for that one!" Hermione squealed as her hair came in contact with the water, and half filling up a cup with warm water.

"Oi! That's cheating!" Ron yelped as the water hit him square in the chest.

Hermione stuck her tong out. "Too bad, you started it."

"Yeah, and I'll be finishing it too, so you better watch out," Ron growled.

"Right," Hermione laughed, a hand on her hip in a no-nonsense sort of way.

"Right," Ron half-laughed back.

"Right..."

"Yeah..."

Hermione waited with baited breath as Ron's face drew nearer to hers, and she was suddenly very aware that her t-shirt was sticking to her. She closed her eyes as the gap between them diminished significantly, and she could feel Ron's hot breath on her face. Just as their lips were about to touch, a voice called through the door.

"Ron, Hermione, are you two almost finished with the dishes?"

_DAMN_ Ron thought as Hermione jumped away, blushing.

"Almost done Mrs. Weasely!" She called back, avoiding Ron's eyes.

They finished the rest of the dishes in silence, and Hermione's eyes lingered on Ron's for just a second, before disappearing out of the tiny kitchen.


	3. Chapter 3

"Nom de Dieux... Tu ne comprends pas Claire! Je l'ai presque embrassé!" **(Oh my God... you don't understand Claire! I almost kissed him!)**

Hermione paced around outside the woods near Grimmaud's place. She liked going for walks, usually she preferred being alone, as it gave her time to think about what she couldn't think of when she was around Harry or Ron. Now however, it did not serve as a calming down technique.

"Non! Ce n'est pas un probleme!" **(No! It's not a problem!)** She almost yelled into her brand new cell phone, the only thing she regretted that did not exist in the wizarding world.

"Ne comprends tu rien? Que ce qu'il va penser maintenant? Je suis son meilleure ami! NON! CLAIRE! Essay de le voire de mon point de vue! Il est mon meilleur ami. Mais je l'ai presque embrassé. Que ce que va dire Harry?" **(Don't you understand anything? What is her going to think now? I'm his best friend! NO! CLAIRE! Try looking at it from MY point of view. He is my best friend. I almost kissed him. And what is Harry going to say?)**

She stopped pacing and sat down on a rock, right on the edge of the woods. She could see a figure approaching her, but she didn't pay attention to it.

"Que ce que je fait maintenant? Je l'aime. Mais il est mon meilleur ami..."**(What do I do now? ****I love him... but he's my best friend...)**

She picked up a pebble and chucked it in a random direction. "Je ne sais pas quoi faire..." **(I don't know what to do...)** Another pebble. And another. And another.

Finally, when the pebbles were finished, it was the rocks. And then the grass, being pulled out of the earth, and then her nails were dinning in the soil, scratching frantically, as if digging a hole were the most important thing at the moment, as if it would hold all the answers she needed to know about Ron.

"Claire... que... que ce que tu ferai?" She almost sobbed. **(Claire... wh... what would you do?")**

"D-daccord. M-merci." And then the connection was broken, and Hermione sat, staring at her bleeding, dirt encrusted hand, a single tear coursing down her cheek.

"Hermione?" Ron asked incredulously. "You speak French?"

BONJOUR BONJOUR REVIEW!


	4. Chapter 4

"Hermione?" Ron said in surprise. "You speak French?"

"RON!" Hermione yelped, jumping to her feet, and clutching her heart. "Jesus, you scared me."

Ron grinned at her slowly. "Sorry," he said, totally not meaning it. "What are you doing out here anyway? I heard you talking to someone..."

"Oh. Yeah, my friend Claire..."

When Ron looked around she laughed. "No, I mean, I was talking to her on my cell phone." She indicated the tiny silver object in her hand.

"That thing is Claire?"

Hermione laughed again. He's so cute when he's stupid. "No... Um... Ron? Do you know what a telephone is?"

Ron furrowed his brow in concentration. "Uh... yeah! Those muggle door handles inside those red boxes."

Hermione smiled at him.

"What?"

"Nothing. I don't think I'd know anyone else who would refer to telephones as "door handles in boxes."

Ron scowled. "Yeah, you probably know much smarter people who aren't idiots then."

Hermione smiled softly at him.

"You know, you don't have to rub it in Hermione. I'll just go." He turned to leave.

"No! Ron! Come back!" She was still laughing, and Ron felt something inside of him give away. He started walking again, faster than before, determined to get away from Hermione and her determination to make him feel like an idiot.

"Ron! Ron, I'm not laughing at you!"

"Yeah?" Ron snarled, suddenly stopping in his tracks giving Hermione time to catch up with him. "Well you're very good at hiding it then."

"No, Ron! I'm NOT laughing at you! I think it's... I think it's..."

Ron glared at her. "Go on then. Say it. Stupid, hilariously ridiculous? What?"

"No! I'd NEVER say anything like that. Unless I were mad at you of course."

"STOP CHANGING THE BLOODY SUBJECT!"

Hermione leapt back in fright. She hadn't seen Ron as mad as this in ages. Not since Harry had become school champion.

"R-Ron, I'm s-sorry if you thought I was m-making fu-fun of you..." she stammered, backing away, tears threatening to spill.

He didn't know why she felt this way... maybe it was because not an hour ago, she and Ron might have been a couple, something she'd dreamed of for four years now... and now he was yelling at her, completely oblivious to what she was really feeling for him.

Ron looked away.

"Ron?" She asked uncertainly, flinching as she saw him glare at her.

"What?"

"I- meant to say that I thought it was cute."

Ron turned. "No you didn't."

Hermione stayed silent, and then Ron smiled. "Seriously? Well why didn't you say so?"

Ha di ha di haha. I love short chapters, don't you? They take 10 minutes to write.


	5. Chapter 5

"Seriously? Well why didn't you say so?"

---

"I TRIED!" Hermione yelled, exasperated. "But you just kept going on about how stupid I thought you were, which is so completely un true, that I never had the CHANCE to try and correct you."

"Hermione?" He said softly.

"What?"

"Why are you crying?"

"I'm not crying."

Ron just looked down at her in concern, and she brought her bleeding hand up to her cheek.

"Look what you've done!" Hermione yelled at him. "I'm crying and it's all your fault."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Oh, yeah, it's all MY fault isn't it? Just because you decided to be all girly and emotional it's all MY fault!

"Yes it is! If you hadn't started this whole fight then you would not be yelling at me and I would not be crying!"

"Well it's not MY fault you called me stupid!"

"I DIDN'T!"

"Stop changing the bloody subject!"

And then Hermione started to laugh. "You're impossible, you know that right?"

Ron raised his eyebrows. "Haven't we been here before?"

Hermione shook her head at him and wiped the tears away, leaving a mud streak across her cheek.

"You want to go for a walk?"

Ron shrugged. "Sure, whatever."

"You're not mad at me are you?" Hermione asked in concern.

"You? Never. Well, not at the moment anyway," and he smiled down at her, and Hermione was sure her heart skipped a beat.

"Well good. Because we need a new plan to get Harry out of Privet Drive, the Dursley's said they wanted him in all summer. He recons they are punishing him for when Dumbledore came to visit them last year. And that time when your dad blew up their living room."

Ron grinned. "I'll never forget the look on Harry's face when his cousin's tong swelled up thanks to those tong tong toffees. Pure delight."

"That's mean! That's poor boy!"

"Hermione, he isn't poor he's a horrible pig," Ron said rolling his eyes.

"Humans have feelings you know! Even the most horrible ones!"

Ron turned to face her. "This doesn't have anything to do with spew does it?"

"IT'S S.P.E.W!" Hermione yelled at him.

"STOP CHANGING THE BLOODY SUBJECT!"

And this time they both laughed, and walked off into the forest hand in hand, discussing possible escape plans.


	6. Chapter 6

"Nothing works unless we decide to use brooms." Ron said, sighing.

"Nuh uh. No way. We are SO not flying. There has GOT to be another way."

"Well I see no better option," Ron said, flopping down onto the yellow sun dried grass. "I mean, we can't apparate, we have no flying car anymore-"

"And even if we did we wouldn't use it." Hermione butted in.

"We can't floo," Ron continued, ignoring her. "And we obviously can't go any other way."

Hermione arched an eyebrow. "Oh, I can think of one."

Ron looked up at her in surprise. "You never cease to amaze me Hermione," he confessed, and Hermione blushed. "So?" He asked, "What's your idea?"

Hermione grinned. "Well, we can go the muggle way, can't we?"

Ron's face changed. "You never DO cease to amaze me," he grumbled, and he glared at the ground.

"Now, seriously Ron." She said, sitting down on the grass beside him and surveying him severely. "There is nothing wrong with muggle-"

"The night bus!" Ron exclaimed suddenly, causing Hermione to jump in fright. "We can go on the night bus!"

Hermione cocked her head at him. "I thought the order's head quarters were strictly guarded and secret?"

Ron's face drooped. "Oh," he said dejectedly. "Right."

"Not that it's a bad idea," Hermione rectified quickly. "It's just not really an option."

She knew how touchy Ron could get, and she certainly didn't want him yelling at her again.

"I know." Ron looked pained. "All right, we can go the muggle way. But then we'd have to stop at Gringots. I haven't got any muggle money."

Hermione beamed, and Ron found himself wishing if he could just kiss her once without it making any big impact on their friendship.

"That's okay, I've got muggle money with me, but you can get the ice-creams once we've-" she did the quotation marks with her fingers "_rescued_ Harry."

Ron frowned but didn't comment, choosing to keep his words to himself. Hastening to turn the frown into a look of confusion he bit his lower lip. "Yeah, only there's just one problem, I have no idea how muggle transportation works."

Hermione shrugged, leaning onto both elbows and closing her eyes, a small smile playing on her face where the sun shone and faint freckles were visible.

"I don't think that'll cause much of a problem, just as long as we find a bus stop we're pretty much headed in the right direction, seeing as how nearly all bus stations have trains."

Ron, who'd been looking in the other direction when she'd been speaking, smiled when he saw her eyes were closed. Copying her and leaning back onto his elbows he rested his head on her shoulder, closing his eyes.

"Hermione?"

"Mmm?"

"What are you thinking?"

_About how cute you look with your eyes closed_, Hermione thought, looking down at him. _About how I wish I could just touch your face and not feel guilty about Harry, and about how I wish we'd never started out as friends so that I'd be allowed to fall in love with you and your dreamy smile._ Instead, she sat back up, crossing her legs as she did so, putting on a shocked expression.

"Oh my God."

Only when Ron's eyes snapped open and regarded her with a concerned look did she go on.

"Oh my God, I can't _believe_ I forgot all about Professor Flitwick's essay!" She exclaimed, running a hand distractedly through her hair. "I can't… I was going to start on it yesterday, but I must have…"

Smiling to herself at the apprehensive expression on Ron's face she forced herself to continue, only giving in when Ron just about had a heart attack when he learned about Snape's second essay.

"Kidding Ron," she teased, pulling him back down onto the grass from where he's jumped up in a panic, and laughing good naturedly.

Ron, who was still recovering from shock, glanced sharply at her. "Kidding? You're kidding? I just about had a coronary and all you have to say to me is that you're _kidding?"_

Smirking she shrugged her shoulders. "Well, it was rather amusing," she said in an angelic voice, biting her lower lip in an effort of trying not to laugh.

Glowering, a mischievous glint in his eyes Ron forced himself to smirk back. "Amusing? We'll see what's amusing," he growled, coming up on all fours and launching himself at her in an attempt of pinning her to the ground and tickling her until she begged for mercy.

"Ron!" Hermione squealed as he tickled her, laughing and gasping, trying to break free from his grip. "Ron, let me go! I can't breathe!" Still panting for breath, she tried to fight him off. "Can't breathe!" She gasped, turning red.

Only when apologised did he let her go, grinning down at her from where she lay, panting and squirming.

"Never – again." Hermione was repeating over and over. "Never again will I joke about homework."

Then, as if on cue, she launched herself at Ron, intent on revenge, and they both went rolling, tickling each other and hitting each other playfully, not stopping until they ran headlong into a blackberry bush, the spines digging into their arms, and causing Hermione to cry out in pain as the thorns ripped a small cut into her cheek.

"Ow!" Hermione whimpered, examining her bare arms and legs, and occasionally wincing as she pulled a thorn out of her skin.

"Look at what you've done!" She yelled at Ron, catching him completely off guard and shoving him backwards. "I'll never get these stains out! Your poor mom!" Showing him again out of irritation she continued throwing insults to a baffled Ron until without any notice whatsoever she shoved Ron into the stream they had been so far away from a couple minute ago.

With a loud "ah!" and a splash, Ron fell into the lake, and resurfaced 2 seconds later, sopping wet and furious. "Oh, now you're going to pay." He growled, chasing her and eventually managing to grab her around the waist, hoist her squealing self up into the air and jump back into the lake with her.

Furious, Hermione gasped for air, spluttering, and before Ron knew what was happening her hands were fastened around his throat, and she was forcing his head underwater, only letting go 20 seconds later as a red faced and out of breath Ron gulped down air.

"What was _that_ for?" He asked, bewildered, pushing his sopping wet hair out of his face.

"_That_ was for getting me wet!"

"Well, _you_ wouldn't need to have gotten wet if you hadn't pushed _me_ in first!"

"Well I wouldn't have pushed you in if you hadn't started tickling me!"

"I wouldn't have – this is pointless Hermione."

Grinning, Hermione hoisted herself up onto the river bank and surveyed an amused looking Ron. "I'm tired."

With a small smile on his face Ron regarded her strangely. "That was completely off topic."

"I know," Hermione replied smiling. "Which is why you love me so much."

Ron chocked.


	7. Chapter 7

"It's dark."

"I know."

"It's cold."

"I know."

"I'm tired."

"I know."

"We're lost."

"I KNOW!"

He yelled the last part, causing her to jump and scold him.

"Hush, Ron! You've got no idea what creatures live in these woods! Oh God… you don't think there could be bears, do you?"

She turned to face him, looking panic stricken.

"Oh, yes, there could be wolves too, and monkeys, and maybe even _fanged elephants_ seeing as how to my extent of knowledge we're in the middle of England."

Hermione bit her lip. "I'm scared."

Ron sighed. "I know, Hermione. But it will be okay; at least we've got each other."

He smiled reassuringly, and she crept closer to him, and following as he tried to find a path through the trees.

Owls were hooting, and Hermione jumped at the sound of field mice, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Meanwhile back at the house, Mrs. Weasely was in torrents.

"Hush, Molly, I'm sure they're fine, they're probably just somewhere up in the attic," Arthur tried to console his sobbing wife, and looking despairingly at his oldest son.

"B-but they're no-ooooot!" Molly wailed, and tried to wipe the tears away. "I m-made b-bill and everybody-dy check the w-whole h-house th-ree times alrea-ady." She hiccupped, and swiped at her eyes more fiercely.

"Well, we'll check again," Arthur said, and he and Bill left the kitchen, leaving an over anxious Molly Weasely behind. "Oh Ron," she whispered. "Where _are_ you?"

"I don't fucking _know_ for the _last time Hermione!"_

Irritated, Ron sped up his pace, ignoring Hermione's pleas to slow down and that she couldn't see a thing. It was only after he heard her cry of pain that he allowed himself to admit defeat. Gingerly picking his way back through the bushes, he found Hermione on the floor, bent over her oddly angled foot.

"It hurts," she moaned, and it didn't take a second for Ron to realise it was broken.

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she clutched her foot, trying not to make noise as she cried.

"Oh God," Ron whispered, sinking down in the ground next to her, and staring at her blankly. "Hermione I'm so sorry."

But Hermione shook her head, although her shoulders shook and she wanted to yell at him that this was all his fault. "Don't blame yourself."

"Who else is there to blame?"

Forcing herself to speak in a controlled voice, she barely managed a "no ones."

"Yes it is. It's my fault. And now we're lost and you've got a broken foot."

Hermione bit her lip. "It hurts," she repeated, and Ron's heart cracked. Ignoring the cold that filled him as he took off his shirt, he managed to wrap the piece of clothing around Hermione's increasingly swelling foot tightly, securing it, and grimacing at his un neat work. It would stop the swelling, but it wouldn't stop the pain, he knew, and Hermione's tears continued to flow silently, as she bit her lip.

"Its okay, Hermione," he whispered, his blue eyes taking in her slightly shaking shoulders. "You don't always have to be brave."

And he drew her into a hug as she muffled her sobs into his chest.

It was around three in the morning when she finally fell asleep, Ron's arms wrapped around her protectively, her eyelashes in clumps due to intense crying. Dew had settled on them already, and Ron, who had promised to stay awake until she fell asleep, shivered as a cold breeze passed over them.

Drawing Hermione to him tighter, he froze as she moved, but relaxed again as she snuggled closer, her head against his chest. He smiled feebly, and wondered when sleep was ever going to come to him.

Back at Grimmauld's place, his mother was wondering the same thing.


	8. Chapter 8

It was around 11am when Ron woke up, conscious of the sleeping girl that still lay curled up next to him in the yellow dried grass. Stretching lazily, and wincing in pain as his muscles screamed, he stood up, ignoring the dizziness that followed.

His throat was parched – he hadn't drunk anything since the last day at breakfast – and he tried not to gulp as he looked around.

Sunlight was streaming through the leaves that the trees were bedecked with, and he could make out white clouds in the sky. Sighing, he decided it were best not to go wandering off and leave Hermione behind in case she woke up. He knew she'd have a seizure, yesterday was enough to prove that.

Instead of waking her up however, he rested his head against a tree, and closed his eyes, letting the sun play on his face.

It wasn't until he opened his eyes again, and found Hermione watching him with a smile on her face, that he realised the situation they were in.

"Are you okay?" He asked her, ignoring the thumping in his head, and the pain that seemed to have been building up in his chest.

"Thirsty."

He smiled. "I was actually referring to your foot."

She winced. "It could be better."

He stood up straight and made his way over to her. "D'you want me to take a look at it?"

Hermione shook her head, and he let her be.

"I have no idea how to get home," he confessed, his head drooping, and surveying the dirt on which he sat. "Do you?"

When she shook her head in reply once more, he sighed. "We're in deep shit."

Hermione laughed. "I wish I could yell at you, but since it won't do any help, I suppose I'll just have to agree with you."

They were silent for a while, Ron wishing the pain in his chest could just leave, and Hermione wishing she had painkillers on her.

"So what so we do now?" Hermione asked, hoping the answer didn't involve walking.

Ron shrugged. "We'll just have to find our way back."

On her grimace he frowned.

"Me carrying you of course."

Her face relaxed somewhat, before realising what he'd said.

"No!" She exclaimed, far too loudly.

On Ron's bemused expression she added hastily. "I mean, wouldn't it be better if you went on ahead and when you find them, they can come get me? Then you wouldn't have to carry me and it would be much easier, don't you think?"

"Hermione," Ron said angrily, and she shrank away. "I'm not leaving you behind, you'll get yourself killed."

And with that – along with Hermione's loud protests – He swept her up into his arms, and slung her over his shoulder, grinning.

"RONALD WEASLEY!" Hermione shrieked, terrified as she found herself hanging upside down. "Let me down now!"

Ron was still grinning as he changed position, so that she was in his arms.

"There," Ron smirked. "Better?"

Hermione tried to ignore the muscular arms that were wrapped around her, and did her best to scowl. "Thank you," she said grudgingly.

Four hours later as they finally found their way back to grimmaud's place, she found herself sobbing these two same words into Ron's chest, as Bill gently pried her out of his brother's arms whose face was contorted in pain, and who blacked out four seconds later.


End file.
